We are a Principled Party - we will lose elections before we sacrifice our integrity.

Our current political climate is one of destruction rather than construction. Dominant political parties tend to find any leverage against opponents at the expense of various groups and victims who, in the eyes of the parties, become tools for political gain...

"If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power." Dwight D. Eisenhower.

We are an ambitious party – we want to be competitive in every state and at every level of government

Many of us joined the Modern Whig Party because we recognized its values to be a breath of fresh air in what is otherwise a suffocating, smoke filled, politics as usual world. We applaud the common sense solutions that the party ambitiously supports to change the practice of politics in this country. We want to field candidates that serve all of their constituents, not just the large donors or those that have precisely the same ideology as is reflected in our platform. We want our candidates and members to practice service, civility, and humility. We want to give voters a real choice, not leave them forced to choose between two extreme candidates, neither of which represent their concerns. We want to solve problems using reason and use those solutions to better the lives of our constituents.

We are a humble party – we believe in returning control of the political process to the voter

Popular Sovereignty, one of the underlying principles of the Constitution of the United States and one of the fundamental theories of democracy, is the belief that government exists and functions to exercise the will of its people. The will of the people is quantified through elections which allow citizens to voice their political opinions through the election of representatives and policy makers; however, powerful groups have managed to pervert the process of political participation through time and have subsequently distorted the public interest. Both major parties, through ballot access rules, gerrymandering, primaries, and non-ranked ballots, have unnaturally limited the voter to two choices and have corrupted the expression of public will which is fundamental in the survival of democracy.

We are a practical party – we believe in solving problems not arguing ideology.

Arguments don't change minds, reasoning does.

As we look through our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and various other social media accounts, we always see a large amount of scathing comments, hatred, and other negativity.

With the most recent election under our belts, the talk is about everyone living in their social media bubbles where we only see like-minded posts and things that are agreeable to us. People often do not experience the other side.

We are a responsible party – we take our fiscal, social, and environmental responsibilities seriously.

Government at all levels is vested with authority derived from the people. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke, Enlightenment-era philosophers who inspired the writing of the Declaration of Independence, gifted Western political thought with powerful principles scarcely practiced since the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The single greatest act of Rousseau and Locke was to remind humanity - in the midst of an era of Kings and Queens of divine right - that the very existence of government is justified only by the consent of the governed.

We are a respectful party – all of our constituents deserve to be heard and represented equally.

Uncommon in today's America, we are a party that stands for everyone. Everyone has a voice and as long as you can let everyone else have theirs, we will have unity. We understand that people have differing opinions and beliefs. We hold every belief to the highest regard so long as it is respectful of those around us.

After two years of brutal politics, the Presidential election of 2016 has been decided, but I would not say it is in the rear view mirror just yet. Donald Trump has won, surprising even Republicans with the strength of support he had in blue states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The surprise was even greater among non-Republicans who formed their opinions based upon numerous polls showing Clinton with a comfortable, if small, lead. Many of our citizens who supported Clinton were sure that she was going to win and were shocked and dismayed by her loss. Some have since turned to protest and a few to violence. Even the more civil responses from her supporters indicate a deep distrust of the President elect and those that voted for him. This is like a cut that would normally heal, but may fester for a long time instead. What should be the Whig response to this?